


A watched clock never boils

by kangeiko



Series: More Joy Day 2019 [2]
Category: The Grand Tour (TV) RPF, Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: Gen, M/M, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-11-06 02:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17930873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangeiko/pseuds/kangeiko
Summary: Sometimes even the most patient of men end up watching the clock.





	A watched clock never boils

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marginaliana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marginaliana/gifts).



> For marginaliana, as part of More Joy Day's fic offer.

“Would you _stop_?”

James looked at him from under furrowed brows. “What?”

“The - the - _everything_.” Jeremy waved a hand to encompass all of James. “Pacing isn’t going to make it go any faster.” He’d only seen James this nervous once before, under considerably more dire circumstances. He’d practically worn a groove in the floor.

“But yelling at me is?”

“I’m not yelling,” Jeremy said with supreme composure. “I am simply expressing my opinion in a forthright manner.” 

“You’re yelling.” James scowled but sat down next to him anyway, his leg jiggling. He was as wired as a cat, jumping whenever a nurse walked by and glancing up at the waiting room clock every few minutes. “How long do these things take, normally?” he asked abruptly. 

“Well.” Jeremy considered. “Kat was a quick one, came in bang on time at a shade under eight hours. Fin was… sixteen hours, I think? Emily was the worst, though. Twenty nine hours. Twenty nine. Francie still hasn’t forgiven me.”

James digested all of this in silence. “Emily is the thing she hasn’t forgiven you for?” He asked, just to make sure.

“Well. Possibly among other things.” Jeremy hesitated, then reached over and put his hand on James’s jiggling leg, pressing it to stillness. James stared across at him, wide-eyed. His lips were compressed in a thin line. Richard had been nervous, of course, and when Richard was nervous, James got nervous. And when James got nervous… well, Jeremy couldn’t do anything about Richard’s nerves at the moment. But he could do something about James’s. “It’ll be fine. Come on. Let’s go outside for a bit.”

James glanced back at the double doors, just about visible from their vantage point. “You don’t think it’ll be anytime soon?” 

Jeremy looked at his watch. It had been three hours since they’d arrived, an hour after Mindy had been admitted and Richard had called them. By his count, they had a good long while to wait before the Hammonds welcomed their new arrival, even if the little girl decided to sprint through it. “I think we have plenty of time for a smoke.” And a shag, he thought, but did not say. With that amount of nervous agitation, James clearly needed a relaxant of some kind. Either the smoke would do it, or…

Well, the toilet cubicles on the maternity floor were certainly spacious enough. Some even had a handy folding-down table. Good, solid, NHS design, practical and sturdy in equal measure. “Come on, James.”

*

fin


End file.
